Lukashenko: Great Stone has great future
Chinese President Xi Jinping called the Great Stone Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park the pearl of the Great Silk Road, and Belarus is ready to match this title – as noted by the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, when answering a question from Chinese journalists about the results of the park’s work and prospects for its development
“The results are very good,” the Head of State said. “We still have to work to reach the goal, but we are moving along the right path – doing this correctly, in the way we have planned. This is because the possibilities of this industrial park are enormous, including in terms of volume. True, we called it Great Stone, but Xi Jinping called it the pearl of the Great Silk Road. I guarantee that we will play this role. We are very proud that the leader of the Chinese people called it that way: the pearl. We should comply with this, and we are ready to do it.”
The Belarusian leader added that more than 100 enterprises have already been created in the Great Stone, “These are the most high-tech enterprises – not simply logistics and trade related. They make products that not only Belarus, but also the whole of Europe, the whole of the world need – including for the medical sphere (drugs) and the automotive industry (components and assemblies). The most modern and advanced technologies are concentrated there, and we are proud of this! Actually, I would wish this to be on larger scales, and I often say to Xi Jinping and your specialists who work there: be more active and faster, since life is speedy at present.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that an unprecedented level of benefits and preferences has been created in Belarus for such co-operation, “It is very profitable for business, and we are ready to improve in this regard. We are waiting for high-tech companies. Our country is machine-building, we need components and assemblies for our equipment. Therefore, we are seriously engaged in a dialogue with you on industrial policy.”
The Head of State recalled that Belarus had recently signed an intergovernmental agreement on a common industrial policy with Russia, and put forward an initiative, “Why not China to join? Let's start with Belarus, and then the three of us – Russia, Belarus and China – will unite. The bridgehead is good, it is profitable. Come and work, and this will be beneficial for you and us. Therefore, the Great Stone truly has a great future.”
